Jeep in late 2017 will bring to market a Grand Cherokee powered by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ [NYSE:FCAU] awesome supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 known as the Hellcat.
Speaking with The Detroit News, Jeep CEO Mike Manley confirmed the vehicle will carry the oft-rumored Trackhawk name and be offered alongside the existing Grand Cherokee SRT.
The Hellcat engine delivers 707 horsepower in the Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcat models, though this figure may be toned down when hooked up with the Grand Cherokee’s all-wheel-drive system. Nevertheless, we’ve heard the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk’s 0-60 mph time could slip under 3.0 seconds.
2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
The Grand Cherokee SRT, meanwhile, is powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 delivering 475 horsepower, enough to hustle the SUV from 0-60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Pricing for the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is expected to start around $80K, which while pricey still makes the vehicle a bargain given the performance on offer. The Grand Cherokee SRT starts at a tad under $68K. Manley described the two models as being "very different."
A debut is expected to take place at the 2017 New York auto show next April, with sales to follow in the fall of that year.
